Pages

Sunday, July 22, 2012

Complete overview of Mac Tweetbot

This is a much-anticipated release for fans! Tweetbot, the Twitter client available so far for the iPhone and iPad. The application is now available on Mac, but in alpha. Before going into details, here are the basics: you need OS X 10.7 to test this version that is downloaded at this address.

If you've used on a terminal Tweetbot iOS, especially on an iPad, you will not be lost with this Mac application. The version of OS X takes almost no standard interface element; everything has been changed from what Apple provides. We thus find the interface quite dark well known, although most - the list of tweets - is however quite clear.
For now, Tweetbot Mac displays only one account at once, even if the application supports more than one. Like the iPad, click on the avatar in the three colored buttons in the top left to switch accounts. The current version allows however to open a second window with a different account or another for the same account. There is no command for this hidden feature, but a shortcut: ⌘⇧ N. An improved system will be implemented by the release of version 1.0.

The output of a software alpha release is a first for this editor, accustomed to refined products. However, it is logical: the free version should accelerate the development and especially bug fixes. The final version will in turn complete, stable and it will pay off. The price is not known, but is known to require OS X Mountain Lion which it will exploit all the new features. In this version 0.6, several elements are missing. icloud synchronization is not available; it must pass through the Mac App Store for it. Meanwhile, the synchronization is possible, but with more limited service Tweet Marker.

Tweetbot does not display any notification yet, but we already know that the application will operate the center notifications OS X 10.8. We must also count on a few glitches and slowdowns. A good point, however, the application does not need the most powerful card on Macs with two graphics chips.

The majority of client’s iOS functions were maintained in the Mac client, although in Tweetbot also lacks a few. Writing a message is in a small pop-up that can move. It can open multiple to prepare multiple messages, drag an image into the compose window, auto completion is part and you can change your account by clicking on the avatar.

Among the good ideas, the answer to a tweet that contains more than one user creates an immediate response with the nicknames of others highlighted, as the official client does. Tweetbot also includes lists in the same way the IOS versions, a good place for those who use them. The filters are also part of, but they are not synchronized.

Bugs and missing features are still numerous, but we must remember that this is a very first version. It regrets the lack of trackpad gestures (only possible at this time displays the conversations with a sliding two fingers) or the keyboard. We must however recognize the work already done to switch between applications IOS software to OS X. If both versions are visually similar, the interaction is not the same, especially regarding actions and context menus. Tweetbot seems already widely used in everyday life, provided to accept a few shortcomings and bugs in this version. This is already an excellent alternative that should be actively developed, while Twitter seems to have abandoned its official client that has not been updated for ages. Add that the application is already largely compatible with the Retina display the new MacBook Pro.